Le Louvre

 Note: Some of the art in this post has been deemed inappropriate by the regime (mother). Please leave if you do not want to see art in an uncensored form.

Storm clouds gather over the Louvre

    Posted by Griffin. This week I went to the Louvre. Yes I went by myself, apparently everyone else had some previous engagement. This is my second time going to the Louvre, the first being with mother back in April, and this time was so much better than the last. Last time mother and I went to see all of the most famous pieces, like the The Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and The Coronation of Napoleon. This time I was able to avoid the crowds and find the lesser known masterpieces.

Venus de Milo

     I started in the antiquities wing. This houses the Louvre's massive collection of ancient Egyptian and Syrian Art, as well as the more famous Greek and Roman Statue collection. Much of this wing was completely empty, with a few exceptions. Every tour group flocked to see Venus de Milo, one of the most well-known Greek statues in the world, yet many failed to even enter the Roman sculpture wing. It may be easy to write off Roman sculpture as an inferior copy of the Greek yet the lack of people really make it worth it. The quiet of the Roman Sculpture gallery facilitates appreciation of great art. Entering the Roman Wing you can feel the difference, there are no large tours pushing, no tour guides trying to talk over everyone, and no one is trying to push you down to get a better view (true story: a woman pushed my shoulders down in order to see better)

The beautiful and quiet Roman gallery

Maybe these sisters are too close

     After the antiquities wing I went to the 17th century painting wing. This wing had painting from Italy, France, and Spain. Unlike the Renaissance wing, this wing was totally abandoned. Literally I only saw one person in he entirety of the wing. This wing does not have the masterpieces of the rest of the Louvre, but the painting is equally as enjoyable. Most of the paintings were religiously themed, but some painters ventured into some vaguely comedic painting (pictured left and below). Overall I left this wing feeling like I had missed the memo about crazy hat day. If only I had known. 

Crazy hat day?

     While I enjoyed the comic relief of the 17th century painting wing after I left I was ready for a change. I left the entire painting wing, and was determined to head where there were no people. I kept walking through tiny hallways, until finally the hallway spilled out into a beautiful open space. This pavilion was stunning. The sculptures were all French sculptures, primarily from the 17th and 18th centuries. This wing was surprisingly empty. The sculptures were mainly in the neoclassical style, embellished by elongated curving lines, and immaculate detail. This wing was one of my favorites, I love the design of this wing, plenty of open air spaces and greenery. The art was exemplary, the marble created a tranquil mood that pervaded the entire space, and the layout was amazing.
The Louvre is immense. Their are too many galleries to count, let alone visit. My recommendation is to get ready to be lost. The directions that the guides give are indecipherable ("just turn left, then go down the stairs, then take a sharp 10 o'clock turn, then take the left elevator"), and the maps provide little help. Just walk through and enjoy the art. 

French sculpture pavilion